I’ve used WordPress during the majority of my time as a blogger and I absolutely love the platform. It gives so much freedom and control, and as a blogger those things are important to me. I used Blogger briefly a few years back, but quickly nixed that blog to return to my first love, WordPress.
I know many people are kicking off the New Year by starting or relaunching blogs, so I thought this post would be coming at a fitting time.
Over the years, I’ve always opted for a self hosted blog with WordPress.org for many reasons. For the type of blog I run, and the goals I have as a blogger, using WordPress.com simply doesn’t make sense. I’ve only had one blog hosted on WordPress.com, and I soon saw that the limitations definitely weren’t going to be worth it. So I made the switch, and never looked back.
Each of the two platforms have benefits and pitfalls. No one is necessarily better than the other, they each have a good fit for a certain person. So let’s break down each, and help determine which might work best for you.
WordPress.com is great for…
– Bloggers looking for a trustworthy platform that is user friendly.
– Someone who doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of learning or paying for blog design services.
– Someone who does not want to spend money.
– Someone uninterested in monetizing their blog/site (i.e having paid sponsors).
– Someone who doesn’t want to update/maintain their blogging software.
– Someone interested in building a sustainable brand.
WordPress.com may not be as ideal if you want more customization option. If you aren’t willing to shell out a few dollars, you’re likely going to be using a pre-made WordPress theme, which is fine! Those themes are great quality and reliable, but don’t allow you to add much personal flare.
WordPress.org is great for..
– Someone ready to commit a little more to their blog/site and brand.
– Someone who has knowledge of blog design or is willing to pay for services.
– Someone looking to monetize or turn their blog into a business (i.e offering sponsorships, or selling anything)
– Someone who wants to add custom plugins to their site/blog.
WordPress.org is great for someone looking to really take the reigns on their blog. You have all of the freedoms you could ask for when it comes to customization and add-on features. However, you will run into more fees taking this route. WordPress.org blogs are self hosted, meaning you must purchase a hosting plan (basically, a place to “park” your blog on the internet”) from a hosting company. Also, if you don’t have much experience with blog design, you may hire someone to handle that for you.
Like I said, no matter which version of WordPress you opt for, you will have a quality and reliable blogging platform. Choose whichever fits best for you and your blog, and you can’t go wrong.
Have you ever used WordPress as a blogging platform? Which version did you use, and what was your experience like?
I tried both blogger, typepad, and wordpress.com before I decided to go with wordpress.org. I like how much freedom you have with wordpress.org
I’ve always wondered about typepad, a lot of bloggers seem to like it, as well as squaredspace. I’ve never used either, but I’d be interested in learning the pros/cons of each.
I love wordpress.org! I just cannot find myself justifying the money yet until I prove to myself I am a consistent blogger.
-Alyssa
http://www.pinchoflyss.blogspot.com
I hear ya! No need to spend the extra cash on something that may not be long lasting!
I have used both wordpress.com and blogger. I recently switched from wordpress.com back to blogger because I wanted to customize and monetize my site. WordPress.com is too limited, even with the customization add on, I couldn’t make my blog look the way I truly wanted it to. I am also not quite ready to transition over to a self-hosted site-I need to get my blog where I want it to be before I decide to go the self-hosted route. But when I am ready, I’ll be moving to wordpress.org.
I think Blogger is great in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to customization!
I’m about to switch to self-hosted wordpress and this is super helpful! it’s such a big change ((I’m nervous)) but I think it’ll be worth it!
Don’t be nervous! It’s a great move, and there are tons of bloggers who do WP migrations all the time who I know would love to help you, including me!! If you have any questions along the way, don’t hesitate to ask!
Great roundup! Self-hosted WP is the way to go in terms of owning your own content and having the best control of your site.
Agreed! Glad you enjoyed the post!
Ooh I see a new look around here! I am a big fan.
I would go wordpress.org every time, wordpress.com is super limiting and they charge for redirecting your blog when you did decide to go self hosted! Sneaky rascals.
Haha… and now another new look! I have design OCD I swear.
WordPress.com is super limiting to anyone looking to do more than write, post, and have people read. If you’re a blogger just testing the waters, the limitations aren’t as big of a deal. But once you’re ready for something else, it’s hard to move forward.
I’m a devotee of WordPress and currently have my personal blog self hosted on wordpress.org. I struggled with it a bit to start with as I don’t know much about blog design or plug ins, but I’m getting the hang of it and am confident it’s best in the long run! I also write short term fiction blogs, for which I’ve stuck with wordpress.com for simplicity’s sake, which is working out pretty well so far.
WordPress.org can be rough at first, but is so worth it in the end. Glad you found which one worked for your different projects.